Wire drawing block



.June 24-, 1941. w MQRGAN f 2,247,248

WIRE DRAWING BLOCK Fil ed Sept. 15, 1939 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g i 31 so g g 20 I5 34 32 I E g I7 T aa 24 z INVEI-VTORS WELD MORGAN 3 JOHNIV. WHALEN' BYw g ATTORNEY June 24, 1941., w, MORGAN ETAL WIRE DRAWING BLOCK Filed Sept. 13, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS WELD MORGAN (fol-INN WHALEN wg I! m Patented June 24, 1941 WIRE DRAWING BLocK Weld Morgan, Worcester, and John N. Whalen,

Boylston, Mass, assignors to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, 111258., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 13, 1939, Serial No. 294,696

14 @lalms.

This invention relates to wire drawing blocks, v, and more particularlyto blocks of the type having provision for the circulation of air therethrough for cooling purposes.

With blocks of this general type as heretofore constructed, it has not been possible to obtain a suificiently rapid transfer of heat from the block to the air to prevent the temperature of the block and of the wire thereon from exceeding a desired value when operating at high rates of production. This has been due primarily to the dificulty in providing a practical construction which would aii'ord the necessary surface area for contact with the air stream. Furthermore, in the case of air cooled finishing blocks, no thoroughly efficient construction has been known heretofore for discharging the air from the block into cooling relationship with the bundie of wire which accumulates on the block.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive and practical construction for an air cooled wire drawing block which will ensure an exceedingly rapid transfer of heat from the block to the air stream passing therethrough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an air cooled wire drawing block which can be manufactured without difficulty and which will provide a very large surface area for contact with the air stream passing therethrough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an air cooled finishing block which will be thoroughly cooled by the air stream passing therethrough and whichwill discharge the air in a novel and drawn wire. v t

It is a further object of the invention to provide a finishing block of novel and advantageous efiecti ve manner into the bundle of constructionadapted to facilitate the use of a stripping mechanism for cum'ulated wire.

With these and other objects in view, as "will be apparent to those skilled inthe art, the inthe removal of the acvention resides in the combination of parts set forth in'the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention andin which like referencenumerals indicate like partsf Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a preliminary wire drawing block with its cap" removed, as indicated by theline |-l' o f Fig. 2; V

Fig. 2is a section taken substantially on the line 2-2 oi Fig.1, with the cap in place;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view. of a finishing block with its cap: removed, as indicated by the line t-t of Fig. 5:

Fig. 5 isa section taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4, with the cap in place;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 5-4; of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the finishing block p;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the finishing block cap; t t

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is a section on the line lll--l0 of Fig.

"I; and

Fig. 11 is a section on the line ll -H of Fig. '7. The air cooled blocks disclosed herein are particularly adapted for use in continuous wire drawing machines of the type shown in the prior ap plication of Myles Morgan et a1., Serial No.

129,232, filed March 5, l937,now Patent No.

2,185,416, granted January 2, 1940. In such machines the wire is drawn through a series of dies by means of a plurality of rotatable blocks, in-

cluding one or more preliminary blocks and a finishing block.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, it will be seen that our improved preliminary drawing to the upper end of a vertical rotatable'spindle 24. The outer surface of the spider is cylindrical and of the proper size to receive the hub (9 of the block. At the upper end of the hub l9 thereis provided an inwardly projecting lug 25 in contact with the flange l6.

arranged to fitwithin a notch 26 in the upper portion of the spider, to prevent relative rotation of these parts. The blockis held in place on the spider -by means ofa circular cap 28 which is fastened to the upperend of the spindle 24 by a screw 29, the outer portion of the cap being outer portiori of the upper The flange I6 is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 3 I, and the flange tion to other blocks in the machine.

openings are arranged to direct streams of air into cooling contact with the wire which is wrapped about the capstan portion l5. For this purpose the block is mounted above a circular opening 33 (Fig. 2) in the top plate 34 of the hollow frame of the machine, and this frame is supplied with air under pressure from any suitable source, all as disclosed in the above-mentioned prior Patent No. 2,185,416. Some of the air flows upwardly through the lower openings 32, and some of the air fiows upwardly through the interior of the capstan portion l5 and is directed by the cap 28 into the upper openings 33, from which it issues in a downward direction.

The air which passes through the interior of the capstan portion I5 is utilized to absorb heat therefrom at a high rate and thus indirectly cool the wire which is wrapped about the same. For this purpose we provide a multiplicity of thin ribs 36 which extend inwardly from the capstan portion and afford a very large area for the transfer of heat to the air as it flows between the ribs. As shown particularly in Fig. 1, theseribs are arranged in groups, with one group located between each pair of adjacent spokes 20, and the ribs in each group are substantially parallel with one another and with the axis of the block. Preferably each group of ribs is symmetrically disposed with respect to an axial plane extending through the center of the group. Furthermore,

the ribs preferably terminate somewhat short of the hub is. This construction makes it feasible to cast the ribs integral with the capstan por tion and to form each group of ribs by means of a single core, as will be apparent to those skilled in the foundry art. The exposed area of the ribs far exceeds that which it is possible to obtain with a construction in which all the ribs are arranged radially, since radial ribs converge inwardly and hence must be spaced apart considerably at their outer portions.

In the operation of our improved preliminary drawing block, the spindle 24 will be rotated by any suitable means. The wire will pass through the associated die and then engage the flange I6 or the flange ll, depending upon the particular position which the block occupies in rela- The wire then passes several times around the capstan portion 15 and thence to the next die. Air'fiows upwardly under pressure from the frame 34, some of this air escaping through the openings 32 and some passing upwardly through the interior of the block to the cap 28, which deflects it downwardly through the openings 3|. The air jets from the openings 3| and 32 cool the convolutions of the wire on the outside of the capstan portion l5. At the same time, the capstan portion is cooled by transfer of heat therefrom into the ribs 36 and thence to the air which flows upwardly in contact with these ribs. cause of the very large exposed area of the ribs, the rate of heat transfer is extremely rapid.

The construction is such as to facilitate the removal and replacement of the block. The block is placed in position by sliding it axially over the spider 2|, and since the notch. 26 is located at the outer end of the spider it is readily visible. Hence it is a simple matter to align the lug 25 with the notch at assembly by turning the block after sliding it part way over the spider.

In Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive we have illustrated an improved finishing block. As shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, this block'comprlses an annular capstan portion in the form of a hollow vertical cylinder 40 which may be slightly tapered in the upward direction. A flange 4| extends outwardly from the lower portion of the cylinder, and this flange is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 42. At the center of the block is a hub 44 likewise in the form of a hollow vertical cylinder, this hub being connected to the surrounding-capstan portion by means of a plurality of radial spokes 45 which extend outwardly from the hub and lie in axial planes. In order to support and drive the block, we provide a spider 41 having a hub 48 which is keyed to the upper end of a vertical rotatable spindle 49. The outer surface of the spider is cylindrical and of the proper size to receive the hub 44 of the block. At the upper end of the hub 44 there is provided an inwardly projecting lug 5| arranged to fit within a notch 52 in the upper portion of the spider, to prevent relative motion between these parts. The block is held in place on the spider by means of a circular cap 53 which is fastened to the upper end of the spindle 49 by a screw 54, the outer portion of the cap being in contact with the top of the capstan portion 40. In order to support the bundle of finished wire which accumulates above the cap 53 in the operation of the machine, we provide bosses 56 on the inner side of the capstan portion 40, midway between the spokes 45, each boss having a hole 51 therein to receive the lower end of a vertical rod 68. Similar bosses 59 are formed on the inner surface of the cap 53 and provided with holes 60 through which the rods 58 may extend. Each rod is held in place by means of a small lug 6| (Fig. 5) welded to one side thereof and located at assembly between the bosses 56 and 59. Each boss 59 is formed with an external recess 62 in its upper portion.

In order to facilitate the removal of the finished wire from the block by means of a stripping mechanism of the internal type shown in the patent to Brown No. 1,477,687, each of the spokes 45 is formed with a radial groove 64 adapted to receive one arm of the stripper. As shown particularly in Fig. 5, the inner wall 65 of each groove is inclined downwardly and outwardly at a steep angle, and. the lower wall 66 of each groove is inclined downwardly and outwardly at a slight angle to an abutment 61 at the outer end of the groove, these two walls being connected by a curved portion 68 of comparatively large radius. The cap 53 is provided with radial slots 10 which at assembly are positioned directly above the grooves 64, and inwardly of eachslot 10 the cap is shaped to provide a radial groove -'Il having a bottom wall 12 which slopes downwardly and outwardly to the slot 10. As indicated particularly in Fig. 11, the grooves H are approximately V-shaped in cross-section, with side walls which converge toward the bottom wall 72. With this construction, as the stripper arms are lowered into position, they will be guided by the grooves H into the slots 10 and at the same time spread radially outward. As the lowering continues, the arms will enter the grooves 64 and thus engage the air as it flows between the ribs. of the ribsg36 for, thepreliminaryublocks,wthese ribs Mare-arranged; inegroups, with one group located between each pair of adjacent spokes 45,1 and the ribsjn each group; are substantially parallel with one another and. with theaxis of the block, Preferably each "groupiof ribs is sym-.

metricallyldisposed with respectto-an axial plane extending through, the centerwof' the group, and

the ribs preferably;terminate-somewhat short, of the hub lii. ,The advantages ,of such a con-,

struction have been set forth above in connection withwthe blocks.

the capstan portion! it enters the cap 53 and is discharged outwardly therefrom intocooling contact ,wit'n the bundle of accumulated" wire. For this; purpose circumferentially spaced ropen-1 ings -lfil are provided in the outer wallof the cap, near, the lower edge thereof and between the slots"!!! and the recesses";I Aboveeach opening 76 we have provided a group of vertical air-discharge slots 1.! through which air may escape, into a shallow ,recesslfl formedin the outerjface of the cap. In addition to; these open ings, we have alsoprovided an air-discharge opening 80 athoneside of eachslot ill, and two air-discharge openings Bluleading toea'ch of the recesses 62.; y

In the operation of our improvedifinishing" block the wire will pass through. thefiassociated die and, i into enga ement with! the" flange 4 I,

which; will force the wire upwardly around the As the accumulatedczwirei capstan portion 40. bundle increases insize it will be supported by the uprigiifilOdS 58. Air will be discharged through the openings 42 into cooling contact with the outside of the wire which is coiled about the capstan 40 and above the same. Air will also flow upwardly through the capstan portion in contact with the multiplicity of ribs 141, absorbing heat therefrom at a high rate. This air will be discharged into contact with the wire bundle through the openings 1e, ll, Bil and 8B. Since the slots Ti discharge air into the recesses it, they cannot be closed by the convolutions of wire, and the air will always be free to escape upwardly into the bundle. The openings all and 89 will provide substantially uniform distribution of the air around the circumference of the block despite the interruptions caused by the stripper slots m description of :thepreliminary After the air hasup'assed upwardly through and the rods 58. When sumcient wire has ac- I cumulated, the block will be stopped and a stripper lowered into position to remove the wire. The grooves H and slots ill will guide the stripper arms into the grooves t l, whereupon the stripper will be lifted to remove the wire bundle in a wellknown manner. By providing a separate cap 53 to guide the stripper into position and to direct the cooling air into contact with the wire bundle, we greatly reduce the weight of the part which must be replaced periodically by reason of wear. Most of the wear takes place on the capstan portion 40 over which the wire is forced to slide upwardly, and since very expensive material is usually employed for this part, weight reduction is a great advantage. Thecap 53 is subjected to ,Itwill be apparent 'fromlFigszirand2 that the areair of the upper openings 3 i is: substantially. greater than that of the lower openings'flfi; l; Itv will also be'apparent frOmaFigS.l.4l to 10 that; the, areaofJtheopenings 16,: "My 8illandvti-iii the cap;

53 substantially exceeds .the area" of the "openings 62 in the flange i i Consequently the'majority of the air supplied to either of the blockszillus trated will flowthrough the capstan portionin heat absorbing, relation to :thexribs; andeffective cooling: of the block will'sbe' ensured. Certain;

subject matter disclosed hereinis claimed in our divisional. application;: Serial N o; 368,418," filed December 4, 1940. Q l l Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and des're to secureaby'Letters Patent is: ,1 l

l. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, an annular capstan portion surrounding the hub and spaced radially therefrom; a plurality'of spokes extending outwardly from the hub to the capstan portion, the spokes being spaced apart to provide passages for: the flow. of air andia series of thin ribs extending inwardly from the capstan portion into said passages. i l 1 2. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, an annular capstan portion surrounding the I hub and. spaced, radially therefrom,:la plurality of spokes extending outwardlyfrom the hub to the capstan portion, and aseriesof thin ribs extending inwardly fromthe capstan portion be tween the spokes, the ribs terminating. short: of the hub. ,i: i 3. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, an annular capstan portion surroundingthe hub :and, spaced radially :therefrom,j means connecting the hub to the capstan' 'portion, anda' series of thin ribs extending inwardlyfrom' the capstan portion andjterm-inating short of the oups witn the r bs n eachgroup substantially paralleli-f 1 W1 4. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, ,the ribs, being arranged in g hub, an annular capstan portion surrounding the hub and spaced radially therefrom, means coirnecting the hub to the capstan portion, and a series of thin ribs extending inwardly from the capstan portion and arranged in groups, the ribs in each group being substantially parallel and symmetrically disposed with respect to an axial plane extending through the center of the group.

5. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion, and a series of thin ribs ex= tending inwardly from the capstan portion, the ribs being arranged in groups with the ribs in each group substantially parallel with one an-= other and with the axis of the block.

6. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, an annular capstan portion surrounding the hub and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of spokes extending outwardly from the hub to the capstan portion, and a group of thin ribs extend ing inwardly from the capstan portion between each pair of adjacent spokes, the ribs in each group being substantially parallel.

7. A wire drawing block comprising a central hub, an annular capstan portion surrounding the hub and spaced radially therefrom, a plurality of spokes extending outwardly from the hub to the capstan portion, and a group of thin ribs extending inwardly from the capstan portion between each pair of adjacent spokes and terminating short of the hub, the ribs in each group being substantially parallel with one another and with the axis of the block.

8. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion having an outwardly extending flange, at one end thereof, and a separate cap located at the other end of the capstan portion, said cap having circumferentially spaced shallow recesses in its periphery and air discharge openings leading from the interior of the block to said recesses.

9. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion having an outwardly extending flange at one end thereof and provided with radially extending grooves adapted to receive the arms of a stripper, and a separate cap located at the other end of the capstan portion and formed with radial slots which communicate directly with said grooves, the cap being shaped to provide grooves which extend radially outwardly into I communication with the slots.

10. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion arranged with its axis vertical and having an outwardly extending flange at its lower end, the capstan portion being provided with upwardly opening radial grooves adapted to receive the arms of a stripper, and a separate cap mounted above the capstan portion and formed with radial slots which communicate directly with the said grooves therebeneath, the

- cap being shaped to provide grooves which exdirectly with said grooves, the cap being shaped I to provide grooves which, extend radially outwardly into communication with the slots. the cap having openings therein for the discharge of air. from the interior of the cap into said slots and other openings for the discharge of air from the periphera portion of the cap at opposite sides of the slots.

12. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion having an outwardly extending flange at one end thereof, a separate cap located at the other end of the capstan portion, and rodslocated near the periphery of the cap to support a bundle of accumulated wire; the cap having recesses adjacent the rods, with air discharge openings leading to the recesses, and other air discharge openings in the peripheral portion of the cap at opposite sides of the recesses.

13. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion having an outwardly extending flange at each end thereof, the flanges having air discharge openings therein, a cap engaging one of the flanges outwardly of the openings therein to direct into said openings air which flows through the interior of the capstan portion, and a series of thin ribs extending inwardly from the capstan portion, the area of the openings in the flange adjacent the cap being substantially greater than the area of the openings in the other flange.

14. A wire drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion having an outwardly extending flange at one end thereof, said flange having air discharge openings therein, a separate cap located at the other end of the capstan portion and having air discharge openings therein arranged to be supplied with air through the interior of the capstan portion, and a series of thin ribs extending inwardly from the capstan portion, the area of the openings in the cap being substantially greater than the area of the openings in the flange.

WELD MORGAN. JOHN N. WHALEN. 

